PON ONU configured in the form of a gigabit interface converter (GBIC)

Abstract

A Passive Optical Network (PON) component, such as a Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) or similar pluggable transceiver, provides the combined functionality of the GBIC (or similar device) and an Optical Network Unit (ONU). The result is a device with a reduced form factor by eliminating redundant components and simplified fault management of the end-system.

I claim: 
     
       1. A pluggable transceiver for use in connecting a passive optical network to a digital subscriber line access multiplexer, the passive optical network including an optical line terminal configured for granting upstream transmission permissions to a plurality of optical networking units, the pluggable transceiver comprising:
 an optical fiber connector for transmitting and receiving optical signals through an optical fiber of the passive optical network; 
 an optical networking unit containing computer-executable instructions thereon for controlling transmission on the optical fiber in accordance with permissions received from the optical line terminal; 
 a pluggable interface for carrying signals between the transceiver and the digital subscriber line access multiplexer and for providing power from the digital subscriber line access multiplexer to the pluggable transceiver, the pluggable interface comprising firmware that is independent of firmware installed in the digital subscriber line access multiplexer; 
 the pluggable transceiver further comprising a processor and non-transitory computer readable media having computer readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 detect, upon plug-in of the pluggable transceiver in the other network equipment, a port application of the other network equipment; 
 dynamically adapt the pluggable transceiver to support the port application of the digital subscriber line access multiplexer; 
 and communicate, via the pluggable interface and a multiplexing functionality of the digital subscriber line access multiplexer, with a plurality of customer premises digital subscriber line modems. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The transceiver of  claim 1 , wherein the pluggable transceiver further comprises an optical to electrical converter for converting an optical signal from the optical fiber to an electrical signal. 
     
     
       3. The transceiver of  claim 1 , wherein the pluggable transceiver further comprises a converter for translating a signal protocol between a passive optical network and an Ethernet. 
     
     
       4. The transceiver of  claim 1 , wherein the pluggable transceiver is hot swappable. 
     
     
       5. A method for transmitting communications signals to a passive optical network from a plurality of customer premises digital subscriber line modems, the method comprising:
 detecting, upon plug-in of a pluggable transceiver in a digital subscriber line access multiplexer, a port application of the digital subscriber line access multiplexer; 
 dynamically adapting the pluggable transceiver to support the port application of the digital subscriber line access multiplexer; 
 receiving through an optical fiber connector of the pluggable transceiver, from an optical line terminal within the passive optical network, an upstream transmission permission; 
 receiving through a pluggable electrical interface of the pluggable transceiver, a multiplexed communications signal comprising the communications signals from the plurality of customer premises digital subscriber line modems; and 
 transmitting the multiplexed communications signal from the pluggable transceiver through the optical fiber connector to the passive optical network in accordance with the upstream transmission permission. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 in the pluggable transceiver, converting the multiplexed communications signal from the second network to an optical signal for transmission through the passive optical network. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the port application of the network equipment conforms to a standard selected from a group consisting of gigabit interface converter standard, small form-factor pluggable standard, 10 gigabit small form factor pluggable standard, XFI 10 gigabit per second chip-to-chip electrical interface specification and XENPAK multisource agreement. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the pluggable transceiver comprises an optical networking unit. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 powering the pluggable transceiver and the passive optical network using a common power supply. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the pluggable transceiver is hot swappable. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the second network comprises a digital subscriber line network and the network equipment comprises a digital subscriber line access multiplexer. 
     
     
       12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for transmitting communications signals to a passive optical network from a plurality of customer premises digital subscriber line modems, the method comprising:
 detecting, upon plug-in of a pluggable transceiver in a digital subscriber line access multiplexer, a port application of the digital subscriber line access multiplexer; 
 dynamically adapting the pluggable transceiver to support the port application of the digital subscriber line access multiplexer; 
 receiving through an optical fiber connector of the pluggable transceiver, from an optical line terminal within the passive optical network, an upstream transmission permission; 
 receiving through a pluggable electrical interface of the pluggable transceiver, a multiplexed communications signal comprising the communications signals from the plurality of customer premises digital subscriber line modems; and 
 transmitting the multiplexed communications signal from the pluggable transceiver through the optical fiber connector to the passive optical network in accordance with the upstream transmission permission. 
 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in the pluggable transceiver, converting the multiplexed communications signal from the second network to an optical signal for transmission through the passive optical network. 
 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the port application of the network equipment conforms to a standard selected from a group consisting of gigabit interface converter standard, small form-factor pluggable standard, 10 gigabit small form factor pluggable standard, XFI 10 gigabit per second chip-to-chip electrical interface specification and XENPAK multisource agreement. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the pluggable transceiver comprises an optical networking unit. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
 powering the pluggable transceiver and the passive optical network using a common power supply. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the pluggable transceiver is hot swappable. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the second network comprises a digital subscriber line network and the network equipment comprises a digital subscriber line access multiplexer.